Sexism still prevails at the Olympics

In response to your report (Can women win the Olympics? Is sport sexist?, 27 July): there's "the football" and "the women's football"; there's the Benny Hill theme tune played in the stadium for the beach volleyball; and if aerodynamics are so important, why do male runners wear long shorts and female runners wear knickers? If a named male athlete doesn't get a medal then "maybe we'll get a medal in the women's". Empty seats? Let's give them to "the lads" in the military who have lost their holidays – even though many of them are women. And how long do you have to watch women's sport in public (whether at work or down the pub) before you hear comments about "is she a woman or a lesbian?" etc.

If the trivialisation, invisibility and ridicule fails to keep us in our place then what? In 1920, attendances for women's football matches were growing; the top attendance was 53,000 compared to 35,000 for men's. The next year the FA banned women's football from using its grounds for 50 years. Top footballer Kelly Smith was kicked out of her boys' team when she was nine – parents of her team's competitors didn't want her playing (and beating) their boys. From an early age boys and men rely on the existence of an "inferior sex" to boost their sense of status and self-esteem. And until they challenge this, women as peers will feel a threat and there will be no will to kick sexism out of sport.Cathy MeadowsNottingham

• On Tuesday the GB women's football team played a magnificent game against a challenging Brazilian team before a capacity Wembley crowd – their biggest ever audience (Report, 1 August). It's shocking that such excellent women players need other jobs while the male footballers are paid yearly salaries in a day.Shirley FranklinBrockenhurst, Hampshire